Baseball

2011 NECC Coach of the Year

2011 Newbury Coach of the Year
2012 Newbury Coach of the Year

Kraig Kupiec enters his fifth season as the Head Coach of the
Newbury College baseball program. With a career record of 68-86, he
guided the Nighthawks to the program's first 20-plus win season in
the spring of 2012 with a 23-22 overall record.

Following a rebuilding season in 2013, the Nighthawks rebounded
strong in 2014. In the second game of the season, junior
right-hander Danny Lumb fired the first shutout in program history,
an 8-0 shutout against Emerson College in Fort Myers, Fla. on March
2, 2014. A few weeks later, he came two outs shy of tossing the
program's first no-hitter in a 6-0 road win over Mitchell College
on March 22nd before taking the season series, 2-1, against the
Mariners with a 4-1 victory at home on March 23rd.

Offensively, Newbury finished third as a team in on-base
percentage posting a team single-season best, .382 OBP. In the
process, first year centerfielder Ian Hruniak passed 2012 graduate
Patrick Curry registering a staggering .474 on-base percentage from
the top of the Nighthawk line-up.

In 2012, the Nighthawks found themselves in elite company,
joining the likes of Bridgwater St., Wheaton (Mass.), St. Joseph's
(Maine), with 23-plus wins. In his second year as head coach,
Kupiec directed the Nighthawks their first ECAC Tournament
appearance in program history as well as to the final day of the
New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Championship Tournament
after claiming the third seed with an 11-7 NECC record.

After besting their previous single-season bench marks in runs
(265), hits (440), doubles (70), RBIs (221), total bases (567), hit
by pitches (47) and stolen bases (72) six Nighthawks were selected
to the All-Conference team - including the Player of the Year, Alex
Chetelat. Newbury tied for the most players on the All-NECC team
with Becker.

In his first year at the helm, the baseball program broke single
season record in wins (18-17) surpassing the total from the four
previous years. The Nighthawks improved in all facets of the
game breaking single season team marks in batting average, slugging
percentage, on base percentage, hits, runs, RBIs, stolen bases, and
ERA. At season’s end, Kupiec earned the New England
Collegiate Conference (NECC) Coach of the Year Award and was named
Newbury College Coach of the Year.

Prior to Newbury, Kupiec served as the hitting coach at
UMass-Boston where he helped lead the Beacons to the Little East
Conference Championship, NCAA Regional Championship, and the
College World Series in 2010. In his tenure as hitting coach
from 2007 to 2010, the team improved to become one of the most
dominant offenses in all of Division III baseball. The team
batting average improved 56 points to .325 with nine single season
team records being surpassed including hits, runs, RBIs, total
bases, slugging percentage, stolen bases, doubles, and
homeruns.

He was selected by the Houston Astros in the MLB draft following
his senior season at Durfee High School in Fall River, Mass., but
opted to accept a baseball scholarship at Division I, Wake Forest
University. He patrolled centerfield for four seasons for the Demon
Deacons in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Kupiec was selected
to the ACC All-Scholastic Team in 1993 and enjoyed a season with
the Wareham Gateman in the legendary Cape Cod League the following
summer. A severe quad injury during his senior season ended his
post-college playing career. After graduating from Wake
Forest in 1995, Kupiec attended the University of Southern
Mississippi where he earned a Masters degree in 1998.

During his playing career, Kupiec made a name for himself with
his hard-nosed, aggressive style of play. This reputation is
carried over to his coaching where he encourages his players to
strive for excellence, both in the classroom and on the playing
field. Coach Kupiec is a strong advocate of player
development and believes that teaching and improving baseball
fundamentals is the path to success. This strategy, in part,
parallels his belief that successful collegiate athletes
demonstrate high levels of achievement in all parts of their
life. A former history teacher at Randolph High School,
Kupiec emphasizes academic accomplishment as much as athletic
success.

For nine years before joining UMass Boston, Coach Kupiec
operated and served as lead hitting instructor at Inside the Park,
Inc. Indoor Batting Cages in Fall River, Mass. In 2006, a book
written by Kupiec was published entitled "Hitting Made Simple: A
Guide for Parents and Coaches" which brings to print his uniquely
simple and successful philosophy on hitting.

In addition to his duties as Head Baseball Coach, Kupiec serves
as the Assistant Athletic Director as well as the Recruiting
Coordinator, a Humanities Instructor and Student-Athlete Academic
Program (SAAP) Coordinator.

Coach Kupiec resides in Lakeville, Mass with his wife Melissa
and two daughters; Maya (4) and newborn daughter, Chloe.